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The Operational Command of Poland’s Armed Forces reported that a Russian military Mi-8 helicopter crossed into Polish airspace from the Kaliningrad exclave at 11:08 local time on September 23 2026. The aircraft reached a maximum depth of 300 metres north of the town of Braniewo and remained within Polish territory for 42 seconds before departing. Radar systems monitored the helicopter’s movements for the duration of the incursion according to the command’s public statement.
Fighter jets were scrambled as part of the response while ground forces and associated assets stayed on high alert the Operational Command said. The command stated that the nature of the incident indicates that Russia is once again testing the readiness of our air defence. Polish air defence crews conduct continuous around-the-clock operations to protect the integrity of the country’s airspace.
Reuters reported that the Russian embassy in Warsaw did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the incident. Poland maintains an elevated state of readiness for any potential breaches connected to Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine. The country has experienced a number of airspace-related events since the invasion began in February 2022.
ACLED data show at least 50 instances of airspace violations of countries on Ukraine’s western borders since 2022 with a research assessment documenting 29 Russian violations of NATO airspace between March 2022 and November 2025. Notes From Poland reported that this event constitutes the first documented instance of a Russian military helicopter breaching the land border with Poland following earlier overflights of territorial waters by a bomber and a naval helicopter in 2025. A separate analysis found that violations accelerated sharply in 2025 with 18 confirmed cases that year.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk had cautioned only days earlier that Moscow might be organising further provocations aimed at NATO’s eastern members according to multiple outlets covering his remarks. Ukrainska Pravda detailed additional recent activity including an unidentified drone approaching a US ballistic missile defence facility in Poland on September 15 and a Russian drone crashing near the border with Ukraine’s Volyn region two days later. These occurrences have led to temporary suspensions of civilian air traffic in affected areas on previous occasions.
The Operational Command stressed in its announcement that all necessary measures had been taken to address the violation promptly. No damage or further escalation resulted from the 42-second incursion. The Polish military continues to coordinate closely with NATO allies in monitoring regional airspace.
